Civilian
by CoffeeEyes
Summary: Cooper has had feelings for Blaine for quite a while and when Blaine comes out, Cooper isn't sure if he's more excited or devastated. WARNING: This story DOES contain incest. If you don't like that or it makes you uncomfortable, don't read. :
1. I Know My Thoughts, Can't Live With Them

When Blaine comes out, Cooper isn't sure if he's more excited or devastated.

The thing is, Cooper has known for quite a while (at least a year that he's let himself admit) that he has some sort of feelings toward his little brother. Feelings that most people probably _shouldn't_ have toward their little brother. He can't help it. And it's definitely not one of those "phases" – Cooper is sure of that. If it was something he could talk himself out of, he would have done that a long time ago. No, he definitely has feelings for Blaine and when his little brother comes out, he can't deny the fact that he's somewhat excited.

The other thing, though, is that their father is terribly homophobic. They've both known that for years. Blaine has always seemed to see the best in people though, and for some reason he must have hoped that their father would set aside his close-mindedness for his youngest son. To his (and Cooper's) dismay, their father's reaction is quite the opposite of what Blaine had hoped for.

The screaming and yelling at the dinner table that summer evening after Blaine says it is mostly a blur to Cooper because he is too busy watching Blaine's hurt face and wondering _why did you have to tell him?_ The one thing that does stick out, though, is their father saying something along the lines of "Get the hell out of here. I don't want to see you."

By that point, there are tears streaming down Blaine's face and he has to compose himself before he says, "But dad…"

To which he throws his fork down and looks up at his own son's face and says through gritted teeth, "Don't call me that. As far as I'm concerned, you're not _my_ son."

Cooper watches as his fifteen, going on sixteen year old brother – who somehow managed to be braver than he could ever be – stands on shaky legs and makes his way quickly up the stairs. At that, their mother throws her napkin down on the table and leaves the room visibly angry. Cooper sits there for a moment just staring at his dad, whose face is blank and emotionless as he continues eating, before setting his own napkin down and bounding up the stairs after Blaine.

Blaine hadn't even bothered to shut his door all the way, so when Cooper makes it up the stairs and down the hall, he can see his brother's figure sprawled out on his bed, face down in his pillows. When he reaches the doorway, he knocks a couple times on the wall. "Blaine?"

He makes a choked out sobbing noise as a response, and Cooper figures that's as good as he's going to get before he lets himself in and shuts the door behind him. "Blaine?" He asks again softly, sitting on the bed and placing a hand on the small of his brother's back, "Hey…"

"I'm so stupid," Blaine chokes out, muffled into his pillow.

"You're not stupid," Cooper reassures, rubbing his back lightly.

"Yes I am!" Blaine exclaims, turning his face so he can see Cooper. His eyes are red and puffy from crying and it takes all Cooper has not to reach forward and wipe the tears off of his face. "How could I have been so stupid to think that dad would be okay with it?"

Cooper shakes his head, "He's the stupid one. You're his _son,_ for crying out loud. You don't deserve that."

Blaine scoffs, "Tell him that."

It's quiet between the two of them for a moment before Cooper speaks up again, "Do you want to go for a drive?" When Blaine looks up at him with an eyebrow raised he explains, "That's what I like doing when I'm mad. It helps. Besides, you'll have _me_ for company."

Cooper resorts to joking because he knows it cheers Blaine up and sure enough, his lips twist into a small smile, "I'd like that."

At that, Cooper reaches his hand out and Blaine takes it lightly. He leads his younger brother down the hall and back down the stairs before heading out the front door without a word to either of their parents. "Don't you need to tell them where we're going?" Blaine asks, sniffling.

Cooper just grins, "B, I'm twenty. Besides, I could honestly care less what either of them think right now."

The two get in Cooper's car and they drive off without any destination. It's quiet in the car, and Cooper holds back from turning the radio on because he knows that Blaine needs to think. Now that they're out of the house and away from their father, the realization that _oh my god, my little brother is gay_ finally sets in. Part of him is excited because _holy shit I might actually stand a chance,_ but the other part of him is reminding himself that his brother will probably never feel the same way about him.

"You okay?" Cooper asks after five minutes of silence pass. They're driving down some road he's never been down before and he's not really sure where they're going, not that it really matters.

"I think…" Blaine says softly. "I just… I feel so stupid. I don't know why I can't just be more like you."

"What do you mean?"

"You know…" Blaine says, looking over at him, "I just should have kept it to myself. I mean, just told you and mom and not him…"

Cooper suddenly remembers the day that he told his little brother that he was gay, about two years ago. When Blaine just hugged him and told him he loved him in response, it was the best feeling in the world. However, Cooper was fully aware that he was never going to get that reaction from their father, and he told Blaine not to mention it around him. Though Cooper didn't want to hide who he was from his dad, he knew that it was probably for the best that he didn't know.

"No," Cooper argues, "What you did took a lot of guts. It's something I never could have done. You're obviously very proud of who you are, Blaine, and that's something that I wish I could be."

When Blaine just raises an eyebrow in response to him, Cooper doesn't bother to explain. He can't explain. He also doesn't have the time to before Blaine is talking again, "Can we pull over?"

Cooper nods and pulls his car over at the nearest possible spot in the road. They're on some side road in the countryside. There's trees and a couple of houses to the right of them and to the left they're able to see down a hill and over some of the suburbs. It's actually a really pretty view, especially with the sun setting, and Cooper mentally reminds himself to come here again if he ever needs to clear his head.

Without a word, Blaine gets out of the car and hops onto the hood so that he's sitting and watching the sunset. Cooper mimics his actions and joins him on the hood of the car. He nudges his brother playfully, "Feel better?"

Blaine smiles up at him, "Yeah, a little." The two sit in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the view, before Blaine speaks up, "I just wish dad wasn't like this…"

Cooper sighs, "You and me both."

"I just want to be able to bring a boy home one day and have dad be happy for me. He doesn't have to agree with my choices, but all I want is to be able to introduce a boy to my parents some day…"

Blaine's admission hits Cooper right where it hurts and he mentally kicks himself for feeling that way. _He's your little brother. Deal with it._ He clears his throat before asking, "Anyone in particular?"

Blaine glances up at him before laughing slightly and shaking his head no, "Nah. I was just thinking ahead, I guess… It's not like anyone at my school would want to date me anyway."

"Don't say that," Cooper says automatically, ripping his eyes from the scenery and looking at Blaine.

He shrugs, "It's true."

Before cooper can realize what he's doing, he's leaning in toward Blaine and grabbing his face in between his hands. He studies his brother's face from his eyes which are still red from crying to his red cheeks, to his lips. He lingers at his lips before finally speaking, "Don't say that. Okay? You're beautiful Blaine, and anyone who doesn't see it is retarded."

Blaine just laughs at his comment but when he sees the seriousness in Cooper's face, his eyebrows furrow in confusion, "Coop?"

And before Cooper can talk himself out of it, he's leaning forward and pressing his own lips firmly onto his brother's. Blaine's hands instinctively wrap around Cooper's wrists, but instead of pulling away, he leans into it and kisses back for a moment. His head tilts and his lips part, deepening the kiss and Cooper finds himself wondering why he didn't do this sooner. Cooper sighs out though his nose, but just as he starts to relax into the kiss, Blaine is letting go of his wrists and pressing firmly onto his chest. Cooper is shoved away within a second and looking at his little brother who is covering his own mouth, eyes wide with confusion.

"Fuck," Cooper mutters under his breath, realizing his mistake. _This isn't some romantic comedy. You just kissed your brother who obviously didn't appreciate it. _It's quiet between the two and Cooper wants to crawl in a hole and die, but his brain his also screaming at him because Blaine kissed him back. It may have only been for a second, but it happened.

"I… What- What was that?" Blaine manages to stutter out, eyes still wide staring into Cooper's.

Cooper shakes his head quickly, "I'm so sorry, Blaine. That wasn't supposed to happen."

"Please take me home," Blaine manages to get out, his eyes welling with tears again and Cooper wordlessly gets off of the hood of the car.

_Well, great._

The car ride is completely silent save for a few sniffles here and there from Blaine and when they get home, his younger brother shuts himself in his own room without a word. Cooper does the same even though he's hungry, figuring that he wouldn't be able to hold anything down. He feels sick to his stomach with the thought of what happened.

He feels like punching something, _anything_, because he can't believe he was so stupid. _Of course Blaine was disgusted. Of course._

For years he had done a pretty good job (if he does say so himself) of trying to repress his feelings for Blaine because _what would anyone else in their right mind do?_ He knows that it's obviously not considered _right_ to have feelings for your brother, not to mention he would never want his parents to find something like that out.

With that thought, he mentally kicks himself. As if Blaine didn't have anything else to worry about or be upset about.

_He's probably sitting in his room thinking that he has absolutely no family. Our parents treated him like shit and when I try to make him feel better I end up kissing him. This is so fucked up._

Cooper sits on his bed in his quiet room, trying to think of a way to make things better with Blaine. Trying to think of what his excuse could be. Trying to think of anything to say. Because right now, Blaine needs a _supportive_ older brother, not the older brother that only thinks about his own feelings.

At that, Cooper decides to get up and try to make Blaine feel better, because that's what big brothers are for. He has no idea what he's going to say, but he figures he'll improvise. After all, he wants to be an actor. He could use the practice. He smiles to himself at the idea as he stands and crosses his room.

As Cooper pulls the door open though, he reveals Blaine standing on the other side, clad in his old pair of sweatpants and a tank top, fist raised as if he were about to knock. "Oh," Cooper breaths, "I was just about to go talk to you."

Blaine smiles slightly before dropping his hand and scratching the back of his neck nervously, "Hey."

"Hey," Cooper says back quietly, trying his hardest to improvise like he decided he would but coming up blank.

"Look, Coop," Blaine starts, but he interrupts.

"I'm so sorry, Blaine," He blurts, "I didn't… I mean…" And then he loses it and goes quiet.

Blaine stares at him for a second before smiling slightly. "It's okay. I understand. I think."

Cooper raises his eyebrows, "Oh really?" He can't help but let that cocky "big brother" side of himself out.

"Really," Blaine confirms, ignoring his attitude, "You were just trying to make me feel better."

"I – well… Yeah… I guess…" Cooper starts. That's not it though. They both know it.

"I know there's more to it," Blaine continues, "But I think I get it."

Cooper crosses his arms and leans on the door frame, trying to keep his cool even though he's kind of freaking out inside. "You get it?" Is all he manages to get out.

Blaine nods, "Yeah… I mean. I guess I've kind of felt like that before, I just… I just sort of pushed it down. And I was kind of freaked out earlier, but I think it was just the shock of it all…"

At that point Cooper is trying to stop himself from shaking because _holy shit Blaine might feel the same way_, and then he has to calm himself down because it's his _brother_ and he shouldn't be this excited about it but he is. He takes a deep breath, "So what are you trying to say?"

Blaine smirks and it's obvious that he's been thinking more rationally about things than Cooper has in the past few hours because he seems so confident. "What I'm trying to say," He starts, "Is it probably wasn't the best planning on your part to tell me by kissing me, but I understand, and I think I feel the same way."

Cooper's heart practically stops and he has to swallow hard before asking, "Are you being serious?"

With that, Blaine leans in unexpectedly, grabs his brother's face, and kisses him. It's nervous and sloppy and there's too much teeth and they're both shaking a little bit, but it's real. Cooper kisses back immediately, his hand cupping Blaine's cheek before pulling away. "Very serious," Blaine manages to get out.

Cooper clears his throat and tries to ask as smoothly as possible, "Would you like to come in?"

Blaine nods quietly and quickly before Cooper moves aside and lets him in then shuts the door. He takes his little brother's hand and leads him over to his bed and they sit down side by side, holding hands. Cooper turns so he's facing Blaine before taking his other hand. "This is okay?"

Blaine nods, "Yes. It's okay."

Cooper breaths out a sigh of relief because he's not dreaming and he leans in close to his brother. Blaine flashes him a small nervous smile and then his eyes dart down to his lips and back up again. At that, Cooper closes the gap in between them and kisses him softly, finally able to enjoy it. The smell of Blaine envelops him as they kiss and he breaths it in like he's always wanted to. Blaine's head tilts ever so slightly, inviting Cooper closer and he takes the opportunity to snake an arm around his waist and pull him close.

Cooper runs his tongue across Blaine's lips and his mouth almost immediately opens. Then he can taste him, and just that thought sends a tremor through Cooper's body. Blaine places a shaky hand on Cooper's thigh as they kiss, nervous because it's his _brother_ and he shouldn't feel this way but he does.

They continue to share lazy kisses on Cooper's bed for what seems what feels like forever until Blaine finally pulls away. Cooper smiles up at him softly, his fingers tracing patterns into Blaine's clothed hip before letting out a breathy "Hey."

"Hey," Blaine returns, still somewhat nervous. He lets his eyes drift south and when they do, he notices the hardness between Cooper's legs, thanks to his sweat pants. He gulps, "Do you want me to…"

Cooper shakes his head no, "I just want to be with you." And it's nothing short of the truth. It's a loaded statement and he's sure that Blaine doesn't understand exactly what he means because he's still just a kid, but it's okay because they have all the time in the world to figure things out.

"Are you sure?" Blaine asks, still looking down.

At that, Cooper takes his head in his hands and looks him in the eyes, smiling, "I'm sure, B. You've had a rough day. The last thing we need to worry about is me."

Blaine nods, visibly relaxing. Cooper can't help but feel a tug at his heart at that because he knows Blaine is nervous and inexperienced and he wants to change that. He wants to be the one to teach him everything, but that will have to wait.

"Can I stay in here tonight?" Blaine asks suddenly, changing the subject. When Cooper just looks at him stupidly because he's too overwhelmed with his emotions, he tries to explain, "I don't want to be alone and I don't want to deal with dad…"

"You know, you could have just told me that you want to spend the night with me," Cooper replies, regaining a bit of his usual cocky self.

"And I want to spend the night with you, Coop," Blaine replies, blushing slightly.

At that, Cooper throws his covers back and scoots back into his bed so there's room for the two of them. Without thinking about it, Blaine peels his shirt off and tosses it across the room like he normally would before bed, leaving his brother gaping. Sure, he's still growing into his body, but Cooper still admires the way his muscles curve and the way the light hits them.

He gulps, "You're really beautiful, Blaine."

When Blaine doesn't say anything and just looks at him, he fears he's said too much and wants to hide his face, but is stopped when his brother crawls across the bed and sits next to him, their faces only inches apart. Blaine then grabs the hem of Cooper's shirt and his older brother lifts his arms above his head so he can pull the article of clothing off and toss it across the room to join his own shirt.

Blaine's hands are then on his chest and stomach and shoulders, tracing his muscles and mapping out his skin. "You are too, Cooper," Blaine finally replies to his earlier statement before placing a kiss on his lips.

Blaine falls asleep long before Cooper that night and Cooper decides it's because he's exhausted from his long day. And he has every reason to be. As he sleeps, Cooper places a kiss on his little brother's cheek and silently wonders how he can be so confident and strong, especially in front of their father. When he was Blaine's age, there was no way he was that sure of himself.

He finally lets out a deep breath that he feels like he's been holding in for years and lets himself relax and drape an arm around Blaine's waist. _Finally,_ things feel like they should. Finally, everything seems to be coming together.


	2. I Know My Faults, But I Can Hide Them

Cooper is practically shaking with excitement as he drives home from the airport a few days before Christmas. At the beginning of Blaine's school year, he had gotten a call to do some commercials in California, so he reluctantly packed up his bags and moved out there. Though he loves it in California and is finally pursuing his dream, he misses his brother dearly. They share phone calls almost every night and text all the time, but it isn't the same as kissing or touching and he is anxious to see him again. It has only been a couple of months since he was home last, but it feels like forever.

Cooper isn't quite sure what it is that he and his brother have. He doesn't know if there's a label he can put on it, but he doesn't mind too much, because it's better than he could have imagined a year ago, and he decides that they don't need a title if they both feel the same way about eachother. That, and he really doesn't want to force Blaine into anything too serious. He _is_ his little brother, afterall.

When he pulls into the driveway, he almost wants to scream with excitement because their parents are gone and he hopes that the two of them have some time alone before they get home. He grabs his duffel bag from his rental car, slams the door, and practically runs up the steps to the house. He unlocks the door and pushes it open to find a quiet and almost empty house. He can hear music coming from Blaine's room and smiles to himself when he hears him singing along.

He stands in the doorway for a moment, enjoying hearing his brother's voice, before shutting the door and taking a deep breath. He sets his bag down at the bottom of the stairs and makes his way up quickly and quietly, careful not to disturb Blaine. When he reaches the doorway, he finds his younger brother clad in some loose sweat pants that are cuffed at the bottom and a dark blue hoodie, dancing around his room and singing to himself. Blaine has always had a good voice, and Cooper has missed hearing it since he's been gone, so he leans against the doorframe and listens quietly.

It isn't until Blaine does this spin (that he _always_ does, Cooper has noticed) that he sees the figure in his doorway. He jumps slightly, surprised, but the second he realizes who it is, he leaps across the room and into his arms, "Cooper!"

Cooper hugs his brother back tight and wonders how he's managed to live for almost four months without having him just down the hallway. "Hey," Cooper finally breaths out.

"I thought you weren't coming home for another couple days!" Blaine exclaims, pulling away so he can see his face.

Cooper smiles, "Well I wasn't supposed to, but I got done on set early and I didn't want to wait to see you."

At that, Blaine's face twists up into a huge grin and he throws his arms around Coopers neck, only not to hug him this time. He stands on his toes and places a quick kiss on his lips before nuzzling into his neck, "I've missed you so much."

Cooper strokes his hair as they stand there like that, "I've missed you too."

At that, Blaine leans up again and they kiss for a second time. This time it's more heated, more passionate, and Blaine almost immediately whimpers into the kiss. Cooper chuckles against his lips, "You really have missed me, haven't you?"

Blaine nods against him as they kiss, and manages to speak in-between pecks, "You have no idea."

"Oh, I think I do," Cooper retorts as his hands find their way to Blaine's backside and pull their bodies closer. They kiss again, their tongues meeting through their opened mouths and Blaine whines into his mouth again, pressing his hips into his brother's.

It doesn't take long before the two of them are crossing the room and Cooper is tossing Blaine onto his bed. It doesn't take long before their shirts are both thrown across the room and Blaine's pants are at his ankles, either. Cooper takes a deep breath before sliding the younger boy's boxers down as well, leaving him completely naked in front of him.

"Jesus Christ," Cooper breathes out, taking in the sight in front of him.

"What?" Blaine asks and sits up, suddenly nervous, and it reminds Cooper that even though they've been fooling around for almost six months now, Blaine is still young, anxious and inexperienced. They haven't had sex at all and haven't even talked about it, but Cooper is okay with it because the last thing he wants to do is push Blaine into doing something he doesn't want to.

"Just… you," Cooper finally manages to get out, causing a wide smile to spread over Blaine's flushed cheeks before he lays back down. The sight makes his stomach flip flop and he's not surprised that Blaine still manages to give him butterflies. The fact that the smile on his face was because of _him_ – because of something he said – makes a smile spread across his own face too.

Cooper finally lowers his head and litters kisses around Blaine's thighs before taking his head into his mouth, earning a gasp from him. Blaine's fingers automatically thread through his hair and normally he would be pissed about it getting messed up, but with Blaine he can't seem to bring himself to care. He sucks gently, teasingly, causing Blaine to squirm a bit on the bed before he takes more of him into his mouth. The younger Anderson lets out a breathy moan, and it shoots a tremor through Cooper's body knowing that _he's_ the one that Blaine is making those noises for.

Cooper hums causing Blaine to buck up into his mouth and grip his hair slightly harder. "Oh fuck, Cooper." He decides to speed up the process a bit because he has no idea when their parents are going to be home and his fingers somehow find Blaine's entrance and circle around it teasingly. They've done this before and Blaine usually stops him, but this time he thrusts back slightly against his fingers and moans at the sensation.

Cooper hears the front door opening and their mother calling their names from downstairs as she sets down what sounds like grocery bags on the counter. With that, he hums again, pressing into Blaine and then he's coming down his throat with a strangled moan. Cooper sits up immediately and wipes his mouth before smiling down at Blaine, "We better get you dressed."

Blaine groans, "Ugh, I don't wanna…"

He knows that Blaine usually likes to cuddle or at least lay down afterward and he feels bad, but the last thing he wants is their parents to catch them, "I know… I'm sorry."

"It's okay," He says, shaking his head and sitting up. Blaine then turns his attention to his crotch, "What about you?"

Cooper just smirks, "You'll just have to make up for it later."

The two boys share an awkward family dinner with their parents that night. Their father still doesn't really accept Blaine for who he is and he probably never will but he's gotten better, thank god. That, and the glances the two brothers share across the table make the dinner bearable. After dinner, their father retreats into his room like usual, and their mom sits at the kitchen table reading a book. Cooper grabs Blaine's hand as they finish doing their dishes and leads him into the living room despite Blaine's groans and complaining that he wants to go upstairs.

"Is it illegal to want to relax and watch a movie with you?" Cooper asks, sitting down and patting the spot on the couch next to him.

Blaine laughs and sits next to his brother who glances around quickly before draping his arm around his shoulders. "What about mom?" Blaine asks, looking worriedly toward the kitchen.

Cooper just shrugs, "She's not gonna come in here. We're fine." It falls quiet between the two boys as they start watching some action movie and Blaine finally relaxes and leans into Cooper, letting out a deep breath. At that, Cooper lets his gaze drop from the movie to his little brother and he smiles, glad that he had the chance to come home for the week. He has missed these moments.

"How's school?" Cooper asks suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

"Good," Blaine says, but doesn't sound too sure about it. "Well, I mean… It's okay," He explains, "I uh… My friends know now. That I'm gay. Some of them didn't really take it so well."

Cooper immediately feels this sense of anger wash over him at the admission and he has to take a moment before replying because he doesn't want Blaine to see him lose his cool. "Are they picking on you?" He finally gets out through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, but it's nothing bad," Blaine says quickly, "They're still my friends."

Cooper shakes his head, "They're not your friends if they can't accept you." At that, Blaine is just quiet and Cooper takes a moment to calm himself before returning to the lighthearted older brother that he usually is. "Do you need me to come teach them a lesson?"

Blaine laughs, "No, I think I've got it under control." He seems to plan out his next words carefully in his head before speaking again, "Besides, I have this one friend who's really supportive. He hasn't come out to his family yet, but he understands me, you know? I… I kinda like him."

For a moment, Cooper thinks he's hearing things but after he sees the unsure look on Blaine face, he realizes that his brother definitely just told him about someone he has feelings for. Cooper's heart immediately sinks and he tries to push down a lot of emotions that he wasn't even aware that he had. The prominent one is jealousy. They have been together (for lack of a better word) for almost six months, and Cooper has never once heard Blaine mention anyone else.

The thought of his brother with someone else is something that he hasn't thought about in a long time – since before their first kiss – and the idea of it terrifies Cooper. He feels selfish for thinking it, but he doesn't want to imagine Blaine with anyone else, and he knows it was ignorant to think it, but he had been hoping that he wouldn't have to.

He finally realizes that Blaine is just looking at him expectantly and he clears his throat. "Oh," is all he manages to get out before it goes quiet between the two of them for a moment.

"Shit…" Blaine mutters, "I didn't… I mean… He's just a friend, Coop, I swear. I just… We've never really talked about what you and I are and I didn't know if it made you uncomfortable, and…"

Cooper cuts him off by raising his hand, "It's fine, Blaine. I figured we were going to have to talk about this eventually… Just, can you give me a couple of days until we do?" The fact of the matter is, Cooper wants to avoid the subject as much as humanly possible. He doesn't want Blaine to know that it scares him, because he's his little brother and as long as Blaine is happy, he's happy.

Blaine is still looking at him, concerned, but he nods, "Alright. I just… I didn't want to upset you."

"You didn't," Cooper lies, "It's okay. It was just a surprise."

Blaine nods again, then glances around the room before smiling at him and quietly asking, "Can I kiss you?"

Cooper's heart flutters at it, because even though Blaine probably knows that he's upset, he wants to make it better. He cares. Cooper nods, not bothering to look back toward the kitchen, and then Blaine is leaning in and pressing their lips together.


	3. I'm Perfectly Able to Hold My Own Hand

It only takes twenty minutes after their parents go to bed until Blaine has Cooper pressed against his bedroom wall and is kissing him. _Hard_. Though Cooper wants to be upset about Blaine's admission earlier in the night, he can't bring himself to care, at least not when he's kissing him like _that_. Blaine's hands are at his hips, holding their bodies flush together as they kiss and Cooper can't help but think that he's the only one who has seen his brother like this. And he hopes that it stays that way.

It doesn't take long before Cooper is pushing Blaine back onto his bed and pulling his shirt off, littering kisses all over his chest and stomach. After a moment, Blaine leans up to remove Cooper's shirt as well, and then his lips attach themselves to the older Anderson's neck. Cooper can't help the small whimper that escapes his mouth and he feels Blaine smirk against his skin before he continues kissing and biting.

Cooper's hands eventually find their way to Blaine's pants and he fumbles with the button of them before popping it open and sliding the fabric down his legs, leaving him in his boxers. He then resumes kissing down Blaine's chest, his stomach and his hips until he's level with his boxers. He glances up at his little brother for reassurance and when Blaine nods, he slips those off too, leaving him naked in front of him. It isn't until Cooper places a couple of kisses up his length that Blaine stops him.

The older boy glances up from between his hips, a confused look on his face, "Everything okay?"

Blaine nods immediately. "Y-yes. I just… I mean…" His next words come out rushed and nervous, "I understand if you don't want to because we've never really talked about it but… I-I want you to make love to me, Coop."

Cooper's eyes go wide and he's sure that his mouth is hanging comically wide open but he can't help it because his little brother – his gorgeous, perfect little brother – just asked if they could have sex. He somehow loses his ability to speak and Blaine takes it as a bad sign and starts rambling again, "It's fine, we don't have to… I mean I know it's kind of a big deal and-"

He's cut off, though, when Cooper quickly slides up his body and kisses him softly. "Yes," He finally manages to mumble against Blaine's lips, "Yes, I want to."

Blaine then pulls away, looking at him worriedly, "Are you sure?"

He nods, "Definitely. Just… we don't have any…"

"I bought lube," Blaine blurts, catching him off guard, "I was planning on asking you earlier, but mom and dad came home and it wasn't right and… Yeah."

"Condoms?" Cooper asks, the reality of the situation hitting him. His brother wants the same thing as him, and has obviously thought about it, which causes his stomach to flip flop nervously.

"I-I didn't get any… I mean I didn't know…" Blaine trails off, obviously embarrassed because of his inexperience and Cooper kisses him.

"It's okay," He says reassuringly, "I've got you." Blaine nods a couple of times in response, visibly nervous and Cooper kisses him again, "Are you sure? I mean, we don't have to if you're not re-"

"Yes," Blaine cuts him off, "I'm ready. I want this."

And at that, Cooper nods and goes to undo his own jeans. Blaine's hands are there in an instant though, and he's looking up at him through lust filled eyes, "Let me." So Cooper gulps and nods and watches as his little brother unbuttons his jeans and slides them slowly down his legs along with his boxers.

Once both boys are naked, Blaine reaches into his bedside table and grabs the lube and hands it over to Cooper shakily. He watches as his older brother pops the cap open and spreads some on his fingers, ignoring his cock. Cooper then pushes him up the bed a bit so there's room for the two of them, then spreads his legs. "I want this to feel good for you," Cooper breaths out, his voice hushed, "So if I hurt you, let me know, okay?" Blaine nods in return and Cooper begins to circle his entrance a couple of times, his heart racing because _holy shit I'm about to take my brother's virginity._

Part of the situation is terrifying to him because the last thing he wants to do is hurt Blaine, but at the same time it feels right, like it was meant to happen. Cooper's free hand finds Blaine's and he laces their fingers together before pushing a finger into him, causing him to hiss a little with the initial pain. "You okay?" Cooper asks, concerned.

Blaine squeezes his hand in return, "Yeah, j-just keep going."

With Blaine's words, Cooper begins thrusting his finger, just slowly, letting him get used to it. Once he sees that his brother's face is no longer screwed up in pain, he adds a second finger. His heart practically skips a beat when Blaine's mouth falls open and he lets out a whimper, and he immediately begins searching for that place inside him-

"Fuck, Coop," Blaine whines when he finds it, trying to keep his voice hushed because their parents are sleeping down the hall and the last thing he wants to do is wake them up. It doesn't take long before Blaine is tentatively rocking back against his hand. "M-more, please Cooper," He finally manages to get out, and Cooper obliges and adds a third finger.

After a minute, the three fingers aren't enough though and Blaine is thrashing on the bed a mumbling something to Cooper and he isn't even sure if his brother understands him until he feels the fingers slide out. He whines at the loss, but Cooper sooths him by kissing his chest.

"You're sure?" Cooper asks one last time because he doesn't want it to be a mistake.

Blaine just simply nods, "Yes. Please, Cooper."

And with that, Cooper pops the cap open again, pouring some of the lube onto himself and jerking himself a couple of times. Blaine watches him through half lidded eyes, and that sight alone is almost enough to make him come but he stops because there's no way he wants to do that now. Not until he's inside him at least. He positions himself, pulling Blaine's legs up a little bit, then leans down to place a soft kiss on his lips. He keeps kissing Blaine's lips, neck and chest as he pushes inside slowly, trying to make it as good as possible for him.

Blaine buries his face in the crook of Cooper's neck as he gets used to the sensation and Cooper stills for a moment to be sure that he isn't hurting him. After about a minute, Blaine takes a deep breath. "You can move, Coop," He breaths, his voice ragged. The sound of it makes Cooper's heart flutter and he has to gather himself before he starts moving.

The feeling of _Blaine_ is better than he could have ever imagined and it takes all that he has not to moan loudly as he pumps in and out slowly. As he thrusts, Blaine's hips arch up slightly, causing Cooper to brush across the spot he had found with his fingers only a few minutes before, and Blaine lets out a strangled moan which he quickly silences with a kiss.

"I wish you could be loud," Cooper whispers against his lips, and _god_ does he wish that he could hear his brother moaning his name, "But mom and dad…"

Blaine groans in protest but manages to smirk against Cooper and say, "Next time."

Just the thought that Blaine already wants a _next time_ drives Cooper nuts, not to mention turns him on even more. He picks up the pace, pumping into his brother faster and soon Blaine's breath is coming out quick and ragged and he knows that he's close. The thought sends a tremor through Cooper's body and his hand comes around to wrap around Blaine's cock, pumping in time with his hips.

It doesn't take long before Blaine is coming hot in between the two of them and the sight of his brother's face sends Cooper over the edge. He goes to pull out, but Blaine grips his hips and stops him. With a strangled moan, he comes inside of Blaine, his head pressed hard against his chest.

They lay like that for a moment until Cooper finds the strength to pull out and roll off of Blaine. They're both breathing heavily, both unsure of what to say, so Blaine wraps his arm around Cooper's waist and nuzzles against him, "Stay in here?"

Cooper smiles and nods, "Of course."

The two boys awake early the next morning to the sound of Cooper's phone ringing in his pants on the floor. Cooper almost falls out of the bed at the sudden noise and he groans when he realizes it's his phone. He stands, despite Blaine's protest, and crosses the room.

Thankfully, it's a good phone call. Though most people wouldn't consider it _good_, Cooper can't help but be a little happy when it's a director cancelling an audition because they found someone else. It means he gets to stay home with Blaine until mid January, and the thought of being there for a couple of extra weeks thrills him.

Christmas goes by fine, despite their father making a few comments about Blaine and his "choice" of sexuality when they have family over. Everyone is used to it, though, so it's nothing new. After Christmas is New Year's. Their parents are out for the night, and Cooper and Blaine drink together while watching New Year's Rockin' Eve. They have sex again that night, and Cooper is absolutely _thrilled_ that their parents are gone.

The first week of January goes by in a blur and Cooper is dreading going back to California. He wishes he could take Blaine with him, but knows it isn't possible and he _hates _it. One Wednesday, a few days before he is due to go back, Cooper, Blaine and their mother sit around the dinner table. Their father is out, thankfully, and for once things feel like a normal family. Cooper learned a long time ago that their mom is much more at ease when their father is gone, so he's not surprised when she's nothing but smiles at the dinner table.

"I've been trying to convince Blaine to join the glee club at his school," She says, smiling at Cooper as they eat.

He raises his eyebrows then looks over at Blaine, "Why didn't you say anything? You should totally do it!"

Blaine sighs, "I don't know… I mean, all of the weird nerdy kids are in glee club… Nobody likes them, and I already get picked on enough as it is…"

"_Hey,_" Cooper protests, "I was in glee club in high school. Does that make _me_ uncool?"

Blaine laughs, "But you went to Dalton. They're like rockstars there."

"There's also a no tolerance bullying policy there," Cooper stresses, "I don't understand why you don't want to go there."

"Because I don't want to take the easy way out," Blaine says quickly, glancing at their mom "Besides, it's expensive…"

She smiles in Blaine's direction, "I think there's more to it than that." When Cooper raises an eyebrow in confusion at her, she grins even wider, "You didn't tell him, Blaine? Oh, there's this boy at his school who asked him to this dance that's coming up on Friday."

Cooper's heart drops. He glances between their mom and Blaine, who looks like a deer in the headlights, "W-what?"

"Yeah," She says, smiling obliviously, "I'm just glad that he has someone who understands him there…"

_But I understand him_, Cooper thinks to himself.

"It's just as friends, mom," Blaine saves quickly.

"That's not how you made it sound," She says teasingly.

Suddenly, Cooper is unable to eat any more. "May I be excused?" He asks, "I don't feel very well."

She looks at him, worried for a moment before nodded, "Of course honey. Let me know if you need anything."

At that, Cooper stands and takes his plate to the kitchen before heading numbly up the stairs.

_Blaine has a date to a dance._

The thought is almost enough alone to send Cooper to tears but he stops himself because he _refuses_ to cry over his brother.

Blaine had mentioned kind of liking a boy a few weeks ago, but Cooper had blown it off after how good things had been going. He was convinced that Blaine wouldn't want to be with anyone else but him.

_I guess that's what I get._

He kicks himself for not having a discussion with Blaine about what exactly it is that they have. Of course Blaine had a date. They never established what each of them wanted. He had probably just assumed that it was okay.

Cooper is sitting in his room, moping for a few minutes before there's a knock at his door. He's not surprised. He knew that he and Blaine would have to talk after _that_. "Come in," He calls hoarsely.

Blaine opens the door and steps cautiously inside before closing it behind himself. He stands there awkwardly for a moment, just staring wide eyed at Cooper before taking a deep breath. "Coop, listen-"

"It's okay," Cooper interrupts, "I get it Blaine."

Blaine shakes his head, "But-"

"We should have talked about this a long time ago," Cooper says, cutting him off again, "We haven't really established what we are, and we obviously both want different things out of this…"

"W-what we _are_?" Blaine stutters out, "I didn't know that we could really label something like… _this_."

And suddenly Cooper sees the doubt in Blaine's face that was there the first time they kissed. The sight absolutely terrifies him. "Yeah…" Cooper starts, "I mean, I didn't- I didn't know that you wanted to date anyone else… So that's why I'm surprised." It's a lie, but he hopes it works. Truthfully, Cooper isn't surprised. He's heartbroken. He had hoped that Blaine felt the same way about what they had that he did.

"I-" Blaine starts, trying to find the right thing to say. He sighs, "Cooper, did you really think that we could actually end up together?" The question shocks Cooper and when he doesn't say anything, Blaine continues. "Look, I like what we have. A lot. But realistically, it's not like we could ever tell anyone about us. It's not like we could hold hands in public or get _married_ or something… I-I just want a _normal_ relationship."

"_Normal_?" Cooper repeats, "Is this about dad? Do you really think that you getting a _boyfriend_ will suddenly make him accept you?" The question is harsh and Cooper immediately wishes that he could take it back, but he can't.

Blaine swallows hard, "I'm not talking about _dad_, Coop. I'm talking about me. I want to be able to introduce a boyfriend to my friends. To mom. Did you see how happy she was? I can't do that with _you._"

The last words hit Cooper hard and suddenly everything is spinning. "Please leave," he manages to get out, causing Blaine to look at him weird which makes things worse because Blaine doesn't even know what he's doing wrong.

"Coop?"

"Go. Please." He says, stern, and though his eyes are closed, he hears the door shut as Blaine walks out of the room.

He isn't even sure what he's doing when he starts packing his suitcase, all he knows is that he has to get out of there. Things had seemed too good to be true, and now Cooper knew that they were. He wanted to be with Blaine, and only Blaine, and obviously they didn't want the same things.

It doesn't take long before all of his things are packed and he's stopping himself from crying as he walks out of his room. He makes his way down the stairs, where Blaine and their mother are sitting in the living room together. They both look up when Cooper gets to the bottom of the steps and their mom raises her eyebrows, "What's going on?"

"I-" Cooper glances at Blaine, who looks back at him guiltily, "I just got a call. I have an audition tomorrow. I've got to go."

"Oh…" She sounds disappointed, but stands up to hug him, "I love you. Fly safe, okay?"

Cooper nods against her, "Love you too, mom."

When they pull apart, she turns to look at Blaine, "Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

Blaine's mouth hangs open, speechless, and Cooper clears his throat, "We already did."

"Oh, okay. Well good luck sweetie. Call me."

Cooper nods then heads out the door. He gets in the car and decides to head to a hotel in Lima or somewhere that isn't too close to their home where he can stay for a few days before he actually heads back to California. He's due to go back on Sunday, but he can't bear to be around Blaine any longer. He feels stupid. Stupid, because he had actually let himself believe that he and his brother could have a normal relationship. Blaine had obviously known better and Cooper wishes that he hadn't been so foolish.

He finds himself wondering what this boy looks like. If he and Blaine are going to dance together. If they're going to kiss on the porch at the end of the night before Blaine goes inside. He tries to shake the thoughts from his head because he finds it ridiculous that he's actually jealous of a sixteen year old boy, but he can't help it. He wants to be the one to do those things with Blaine.


	4. You Still Sleep in the Bed With Me

Cooper wants to _die_ when he gets the phonecall.

Somehow, he knew it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Cooper didn't necessarily have the best high school experience, and he still hasn't told even his parents that he's gay. Blaine on the other hand, has always insisted on being proud of who he is, even if it meant getting bullied.

But this was too far.

It is about one in the morning, after Blaine's dance when Cooper arrives at the hospital. He says a quick hello to his parents, who are probably wondering how he got there from "California" so quickly, before running to the room that they tell him to go because he _needs_ to see Blaine. He doesn't care to explain why he is still in Ohio – why he never left for California like he said.

He walks in the room just as a nurse is walking out and the sight in front of him makes his eyes well up with tears. His little brother is laying in a hospital bed, eyes closed, a bandage wrapped around his head and probably more hidden under the blanket.

"Blaine?" he manages to choke out and the other boy's eyes flutter open.

He smiles warmly when he sees his older brother, "Coop."

Cooper crosses the room in three big strides and sits down at the side of Blaine's bed, "Who the fuck did this to you?"

Blaine shakes his head, "It doesn't matter, Cooper."

"Yes it does. What happened?"

Blaine sighs, "I went to the dance and when we left, some people followed us outside. I didn't get a good look at them." The fact that Blaine still went to the dance with another boy pulls at this part of Cooper that he tries to push down, but he can't help the lump in his throat.

Cooper wants to punch something. He wants to scream. How could somebody do this to his brother? Instead he stays calm for Blaine's sake, "But you're going to be okay, right?"

Blaine nods slowly, "Right. It could have been worse. I only have three broken ribs and a fractured collar bone. Oh and I got some stitches in my head…"

"_Only_," Cooper scoffs. Leave it to Blaine to be positive about something like this. "I was so terrified," He confides, the tears returning to his eyes, "I didn't want to lose you."

At that, Blaine reaches out with his good arm and takes Cooper's hand, "You'll never lose me. I promise."

It's quiet between the two of them before Cooper takes a deep breath and regains his composure, "I should probably go talk to mom and dad. They're probably going to kick me out of here to see you soon anyway, huh?"

Blaine shakes his head violently no and winces at the pain of it. He grips Cooper's hand tighter before speaking, "Please don't go, Coop. I need you."

Cooper's heart swells at Blaine's words and he tries to push his feelings back, but he can't. To be honest, he's been pretty good at hiding the way he _really_ feels about his brother for the past few years, but lately he can't seem to control it. He smiles and nods, "Alright."

"Lay with me?" Blaine asks, once again making Cooper's heart skip a beat. He scoots over so there's more room on the bed and Cooper obliges and lays next to him. "Stay the night?" Blaine requests and Cooper doesn't know if it's allowed but he immediately nods his head yes.

"Of course." It's only been a few days since he's seen him, but it feels like forever. He cherishes any moment he gets to spend with Blaine because they're few and far between. This moment in particular will be locked away for safe keeping. He definitely doesn't want to forget this.

Blaine's hand finds its way to Cooper's and he laces their fingers together, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, B," Cooper replies, trying to hide the fact that he's on the verge of tears. He doesn't know if it's the medicine, but the way Blaine is acting is making his heart race.

As if it weren't enough, Blaine smiles and adds, "I love you."

"I love you too," Cooper returns simply, as any brother should, but Blaine just shakes his head.

"No, Coop. I_ love_ you." Cooper doesn't say anything in return because there's this lump in his throat and he's not sure that he can speak. That, and he doesn't want to say anything stupid because he's sure it's the pain meds that are making his little brother loopy enough to say it. They had been over it only a few days ago. What they had wasn't a real relationship, therefore it couldn't be love. Right?

At Cooper's silence, Blaine speaks again, "I really do, Coop. I don't know if you feel the same, and I know I'm kind of late saying it but I really love you."

Tears begin to well up in Cooper's eyes and he looks down at Blaine, who is laying in his arms, eyes closed and a smile spread across his face. He's sure Blaine won't remember it in the morning, but that doesn't stop him from smiling and replying, "I love you too, Blaine."

With that, Blaine yawns and opens his eyes to look up at Cooper then leaning up, wincing as he does so, and placing a quick kiss on his lips. "I'm so glad you're here," he manages to get out quietly.

"I am too," Cooper replies, trying not to cry before kissing his forehead, "Try to get some rest. You'll need it."

Blaine nods, then winces at the pain of doing so and that almost pushes Cooper over the edge because some _assholes_ did this to his brother. "You're staying?" Blaine asks again, having already forgot their earlier conversation.

Cooper swallows hard, "Yes, I'm staying. As long as you need me."

At that, Blaine smiles and cuddles closer to Cooper, who watches his brother doze off peacefully. He wishes that things could always be this simple, but he knows they can't be. The next few days, even weeks, are going to be tough. He knows he's going to have to cancel or reschedule a few auditions he had planned, but those can wait because it's _Blaine_ and right now, he's more important than any stupid movie or commercial.

Cooper is woken up a few hours later by their mom, who brings him a cup of coffee and something to eat from the cafeteria. He reluctantly gets out of Blaine's bed and sits in a chair across the room and sips his coffe. Thankfully, neither of his parents ask why he was still in Ohio. They're too worried about Blaine. For the first time in a long time, their father is worried about his son. Though it's a little late, it makes Cooper feel better. At least Blaine is surrounded by people who love him.

When Blaine finally wakes up that morning, Cooper has passed out in the chair in the corner of the room and is suddenly awoken by his brother calling his name. He looks up and rubs his eyes smiling when he sees Blaine sitting up and looking up at him. "Hey, B," he says sleepily, standing and stretching.

"When did you get here? I thought you went back to…" Blaine trails off because he realizes that the last time they saw eachother, Cooper was upset and leaving to go back to California.

"I uh… I never left," Cooper explains softly as he pulls up a chair next to Blaine's bed.

Blaine looks confused. "What do you mean?"

"I was staying in a hotel in Columbus… Mom and dad called and I got here as soon as I could," Cooper says, smiling sadly.

Blaine tries to sit up more but winces at the pain and Cooper steadies him. "You mean you got here last night? I didn't dream that?" Blaine asks, and Cooper wants to laugh at his confused little brother but he stops himself. Blaine probably doesn't remember him sleeping in his bed. He probably doesn't remember saying _I love you_ either.

"I was here," Cooper confirms, still smiling slightly.

Then Blaine's face changes because he realizes what happened. "I'm so sorry, Cooper," He immediately chokes out, tears spilling out of his closed eyes.

"Woah, you're okay," Cooper reassures, grabbing Blaine's hand, "You have nothing to be sorry about. I should have been there. I could have… chaperoned the dance or something."

Blaine smiles a little despite his tears at Cooper but then he shakes his head no, "No, I mean, I'm sorry for the way I treated you."

"We don't have to talk about this now, B," Cooper says softly, "Right now you need to rest and feel better. _This_ can wait."

Though Blaine looks like he's going to argue, he simply nods because their parents walk in the room, smiling at their sons.

_If only they knew_, Cooper thinks to himself, glancing at Blaine before standing.

Cooper cancels three commercial auditions for the next month in order to stay home with Blaine. Normally, he would be going crazy after being back in Ohio for so long. He was usually dying to do some new auditions or go to the beach, but right now, Blaine was the only thing that mattered.

They learned within the first few days that Blaine was in the hospital what exactly happened that night. Blaine and his friend, whose name was Jensen, had left the dance a few minutes before it was over so they didn't have to deal with everyone leaving at the same time. Jensen had drove, and they were walking out to his car, which was conveniently parked in the back parking lot, and they hadn't noticed that four boys had followed them outside until it was too late.

Jensen had troubles remembering what exactly happened, so when the police come to question Blaine, he has to fill in the blanks.

Cooper sits at his side, holding his hand as he retells what happened.

"I remember walking out back to his car," Blaine starts, trying hard not to cry as he retells it, "And we were really happy because the dance went by without any problems. And then we heard them. There were four of them, two were Juniors that I recognized, and I think one was a Senior. I could point them out if you asked…"

He glances at Cooper then his parents before continuing, "Two of them had baseball bats. The second I saw that, Jesnsen and I started running. He uh… he wasn't as fast as me, and they got him first. They hit him in the head with the bat."

At that point, Blaine can't help but tear up, "I tried to stop them, I really did. But they just kept hitting him and hitting him. Then the other one with the baseball bat – I think his name is Nick – he hit me. I uh… I don't really remember a lot after that. I just remember them kicking me and then the sound of cop cars, and then they were g- gone…"

Blaine buries his face in his hands and Cooper wants to punch something because there's nothing he can do about it. Some assholes did this to his little brother, and there is nothing he can do.

They find out later that week and three out of the four boys are in custody, thankfully, and that Jensen is doing okay, but it doesn't change the way Cooper feels. He wants the people who did this to Blaine dead, for all he cares.

It takes almost two weeks before Blaine is up and walking around the house again without too much pain. He still hasn't gone back to school and he probably won't for a while, but his parents know it's for the best. Cooper notices one morning that they have pamphlets for Dalton Academy sitting on the kitchen table, and he begs them to send Blaine there.

That night, Cooper is sitting in his room on his laptop, trying to schedule work for the next month, when there's a knock on his door. It's hanging halfway open and he can see Blaine leaning on the doorframe.

"Hey B," Cooper says, smiling, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Blaine says, walking in the room and shutting the door behind him. When the door closes, Cooper's heart stops. He knows they're about to have a serious talk, and that absolutely terrifies him. "Mom and Dad are sending me to Dalton," Blaine says, breaking the silence. He sits on the end of the bed, and Cooper studies him for a moment. His arm is still in a sling and his ribs are probably still bandaged under his shirt, but the bandage on his head is gone. He still has a pretty dark black eye, but it doesn't look half as bad as it did a week before.

"Good," Cooper says, smiling nervously, "You'll like it there a lot."

Blaine nods in response then glances up at Cooper again. "Coop, we need to talk."

Cooper gulps and shuts his laptop, looking up at him. Blaine almost looks like he's on the verge of tears, so Cooper nods, "Alright."

"I know you've been avoiding it, and maybe I have been a little bit too…"

Cooper nods in agreement. He has been avoiding it. He doesn't want Blaine to break his heart yet again. After seeing him broken in that bed and hearing him say _I love you_, he doesn't want to get let down again. He doesn't know if he can take it.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Cooper," Blaine finally gets out, looking down at his hands, then back to his brother's face, "I don't- there isn't an excuse for the way I treated you."

Cooper shakes his head, "You're a teenager. I can't expect you to know exactly what you want and the last thing I want to do is manipulate you into being with me."

"No, Coop. _Listen_," Blaine urges, "You're not forcing me to feel any of the things I feel. I'm doing that on my own. I made that choice last summer when I kissed you back. You're not manipulating me…"

It's quiet for a moment before Blaine speaks again, "I think I was just scared. I mean, dad didn't – and probably still doesn't – accept me. And he doesn't even _know_ that you're gay. The last thing I wanted to do was give dad another reason for him to hate me more, and a reason for him to hate you. I was just really scared of him finding out, so I decided that maybe it would be best if I tried to get involved in someone else."

"Blaine…" Cooper says softly, reaching out for his hand. He doesn't know what to say, but he hopes that touch says it all.

"The worst part is, I- I didn't really even like him all that much," Blaine continues, his voice wavering, "I mean, I don't feel the way I do with you. I honestly don't think that anyone could make me feel that way… I just feel like shit, because I was being selfish. I didn't care if I hurt you – I was just trying to be what I thought was _normal._ And look what happened. To both me and him… If I had just been honest with myself…" Blaine trails off as a few tears escape his eyes.

"Don't say that," Cooper says, scooting closer, "Don't you _dare_ say that this is your fault."

"But…" Blaine starts, sniffling.

"No," Cooper cuts him off, "It's not your fault. It's those close minded assholes. And I swear to God, I'll make sure they pay."

When Blaine doesn't say anything, Cooper continues, "I can't blame you for getting scared, Blaine. We should have talked about what we wanted out of things a _long_ time ago. I was just worried that it would scare you off…"

"Well can we talk about that now?" Blaine asks, looking up at him, his eyes wet with tears.

"Sure," Cooper replies softly.

"I was so scared when everything happened that night," Blaine starts, "When they were hitting me, I could see my blood on the ground and the last thought I remember having before I passed out was that I wished you hadn't left. The last conversation we had, you were mad at me. I didn't… If I _died_, I hated knowing that your last memory of me would be us fighting. I didn't want that."

Cooper's heart lurches at the thought of what would have happened had the cops not shown up. Had the boys kept beating Blaine and his friend. He shakes the thought from his head because Blaine is _alive_ and sitting right in front of him, staring at him with those big hazel eyes. "Well… What _do_ you want?" He asks, squeezing Blaine's hand.

"I want _you_, Cooper," Blaine says right away, catching him off guard, "I meant what I said when you got to the hospital. I love you. And not like brothers. But I _love _you."

Cooper isn't sure when he started crying, but suddenly he can feel the wetness on his cheeks and then Blaine is leaning forward and using his good hand to wipe the tears away. Then their faces are mere inches apart, and Blaine is looking at him, waiting for a response. "I love you too, Blaine," Cooper finally manages to get out, "I always have."

With that Blaine closes the gap in between them, pressing their lips firmly together. Though it has only been a few weeks, Cooper sighs into the kiss, realizing how much he missed it.

Blaine pulls away quickly, the angle that they're sitting hurting his ribs. Cooper understands immediately and scoots back so Blaine can lie down with him. They lay like that until the two of them fall asleep together, their bodies intertwined.


	5. I Wanted To Give You Everything

I know I should have warned you guys first, but this is the last chapter in this series. I know it's short, but it's kinda just a cute little filler series while I write some other fics.  
Thanks for all of the lovely reviews, everyone!

* * *

It doesn't take long before their father is back to his same old self.

Only a few months after the accident, he's saying snide homophobic comments at the dinner table again – despite their mother's protests – and Blaine calls Cooper almost every night, either furious or on the verge of tears.

Cooper is home one day in April when he finally snaps. He's only home for the weekend, and even though Blaine had insisted that it was a waste of a plane ticket, Cooper couldn't resist coming home to see him. The Warblers were performing that weekend and Blaine had a solo, and he didn't want to miss it.

The night of the performance, their family sat down for dinner together before they were due to leave to head to Dalton. Their father, surprisingly, was coming with, which made Cooper and Blaine hope that they were going to have a good night.

"How's California?" Their mom asks as they eat, smiling at her oldest son, "Making a lot of friends?"

Cooper smiles back, "Yeah. I love it."

"Any girlfriends?" Their dad asks Cooper, but he looks pointedly at Blaine when he says it.

"Excuse me?" Cooper asks, almost choking on his food, but then remembers that his father doesn't know. He still thinks that his oldest son is incredibly straight. If only he knew.

"We'll that's a shame," He replies, taking Cooper's reaction as a no, "Blaine could have learned something from you."

"_Excuse me?_" Cooper says again, only louder.

"Cooper, please don't," Their mother starts, but he shakes his head.

"No mom," He interjects, "This is bullshit! Your own _son_ got jumped because he's gay not even four months ago, and you can't even show some kind of support for him? What kind of _father_ are you?"

He laughs darkly and doesn't even bother to look at Cooper when he replies, "Why would I support it? So he can get his hopes up and get jumped again? Hell, maybe they'll actually beat the gay out of him next time."

Cooper almost, _almost_ throws himself across the table at his own father. The only thing that stops him is the pleading look on Blaine's face. Instead he stands, slams his hands on the table and leans forward. "You could _learn_ something from him," He sneers, "He's only sixteen and he's got more balls than you'll _ever_ have. He came out to you because you're his father and he just wants you to love him and accept him and you're such a fucking pussy that you can't even do that."

"Cooper stop," His mother begs again, but he continues to ignore her.

"Hell, he has more guts than _I_ ever had," He continues, his heart pounding in his ears, "While we're at it, I have something to tell you too, _dad_. You didn't just raise one gay son, you raised two. And the second one is sick of your shit."

Cooper stands, his legs shaking, and he turns to Blaine, who is staring up at him wide-eyed. "Come on Blaine," Cooper says softly, "We have somewhere to be."

Thankfully, Blaine already has his Warbler uniform on and he doesn't need to grab anything else before he runs after Cooper, who storms out the front door. "Cooper!" He calls after him as he tries to catch up with him. Cooper is striding quickly toward his rental car, which is parked across the street from the house and when he doesn't respond, Blaine calls his name again, "Cooper, wait!"

Finally, he turns around. He's only a few feet away from his car, but he stands in the road and waits until Blaine is standing in front of him. "Why did you do that?" Blaine asks, eyes wide, "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did," Cooper says calmly, "He can't talk to you like that, Blaine. And I'll defend you until the day I die."

"But-" Blaine starts.

"But nothing," Cooper says, smiling at him, "I did it because I love you, okay?"

Blaine smiles back, "I love you too."

The two brothers stay in a hotel room that night, but neither of them cares because they have eachother and that's all that matters.

* * *

Blaine is a senior in high school when Cooper flies him out to California for the first time. Before, Blaine had insisted on waiting because he didn't want to have to get permission from their parents. The second he turns eighteen, though, Cooper buys the plane tickets.

It's spring break when Blaine finally flies out there. He's surprised when he starts to feel nervous on the plane only thirty minutes before he lands because he realizes that he doesn't know what Cooper's life is like outside of Ohio. Well he's heard about it, but he doesn't _know_ it. He's suddenly worried that things will be different once he's in California, but his worries vanish when Cooper greets him with a warm hug and an unexpected kiss.

The kiss makes his heart skip a beat. Cooper has never been publicly affectionate with him in _Ohio_.

"I think I could grow to like California," Blaine mumbles against his brother's lips after they part, not caring who sees them.

Later that day, Cooper and Blaine go out to lunch with some of Cooper's friends. They live down the street from him, and they're aspiring actors as well. Blaine quickly realizes that he hasn't met any of Cooper's new friends and is immediately nervous again.

Cooper reassures him not to be worried as they walk into a little café that afternoon and sit down at a table with a boy with longish blonde hair and a girl with short fiery red hair. "I'm Harper," the girl introduces herself, "And this is Landon."

Blaine shakes their hands, smiling, "Blaine. It's great to meet you two. I'm Cooper's-"

"_This_ is your boyfriend?" Harper squeals, obviously excited, "Cooper! He's even cuter than you described him!"

Blaine immediately glances at his brother, who is just smiling at his friends as he sits, and he mimics his actions when he realizes he's just standing there, mouth wide open.

"So when are you going to move out here?" Harper continues, smiling, "Cooper won't shut up about you."

Blaine glances at Cooper again, "Well I- I mean…"

"We haven't really talked about it much," Cooper says quickly, hoping it isn't too much for Blaine all at once, but to his surprise, Blaine just turns back to Harper and grins.

"If I have it my way, hopefully this summer."

Lunch doesn't last too long because Harper and Landon have to get to work and when they leave, Blaine can't help but glance up at his brother. "_Boyfriend_?" He asks, taking a sip of his iced tea.

"I'm sorry," Cooper rushes out, "I didn't know she was going to be like _that_."

"You didn't tell them that I'm your brother?"

"No," Cooper replies looking guilty, "Shit, Blaine, I'm sorry if that upset you. I knew we should have talked about it… I just didn't want to freak you out and-"

He stops talking when Blaine reaches over and laces their fingers together. He smiles at Cooper, "_Boyfriend_. I like the sound of that."

And he does. Blaine is beginning to like California more and more with every passing moment. Cooper's friends in California just see them as boyfriends. They don't know that they're brothers, and Blaine likes that. The one thing he didn't like about Ohio was that he couldn't walk hand in hand with the boy he liked down the street. In California, nobody cared as the two boys walked, fingers intertwined, to the car after lunch.

They pull up to Cooper's apartment only thirty minutes later. It's nice and roomy inside and when they walk into the kitchen, Blaine drops his bag on the floor and hops up to sit on the counter. Cooper is then in front of him, in-between his legs, smiling. His hands go to Blaine's hips, holding their bodies close. "What do you think?"

"About your place?" Blaine asks, grinning, "Or California in general?"

Cooper rubs their noses together affectionately, "Both."

Blaine pulls away looking around the spacious apartment. There's a big window in his living room, allowing light to shine in, making the whole apartment bright and sunny. His kitchen has marble counter tops and looks mostly empty, but Blaine figures he can change that when he moves there. _When he moves there._ He smiles at the idea of it.

"How far is the beach from here?" He asks, still surveying the area.

Cooper shrugs, "Like twenty minutes."

"Well, I still haven't seen the bedroom," Blaine says pointedly, "But this is amazing…"

Cooper waits for him to continue, so he does. "And _California_…" He says breathlessly, "Coop, you have no idea… I've wanted this for so long. All I've ever wanted was to be able to introduce you as my boyfriend; to walk down the street hand in hand with you. I love it here."

Cooper smiles in return, trying to fight the tears forming in his eyes, "This is all I've ever wanted." He finally leans forward and presses a hot kiss on Blaine's lips, his heart swelling because _Blaine wants it too_. When he pulls away after a moment, he's grinning mischievously, "You still haven't seen the bedroom."

Blaine grins back, "Care to change that?"

* * *

At the end of the week, Cooper is driving Blaine back to the airport to go home, when they have to pull the car over. He can't remember exactly how the conversation started, but then Blaine is teary eyed and saying, "I don't want to go back, Coop. When I'm there, you're just my brother and I _hate _it."

Thankfully, they're still on a side street by Cooper's apartment, so only one car has to swerve around them when he pulls the car over suddenly. "Stop," Cooper says sternly, causing Blaine to look up at him, surprised. "Don't say shit like that, Blaine."

"What?" Blaine's eyes are wide because he doesn't understand why Cooper is suddenly yelling at him.

"I'm sorry," Cooper soothes, "I didn't mean to yell. Just… don't say that. Okay? We've never _just_ been brothers."

"But-"

"No," Cooper says, shaking his head, "No buts. You're out of school in May, and the second you're done, you're moving out here with me and you never have to worry about dad or any of the pathetic people from Ohio ever again, okay?"

Blaine nods, wiping the tears from his face, "I love you, Coop."

Cooper leans over to place a quick kiss on his lips, "I love you too."

* * *

When Blaine graduates in May, Cooper is the crowd with their parents, smiling and proud. Though Blaine insists that he doesn't have to come – that he could easily just meet him at the airport when he flies back to California – Cooper stubbornly tells him that he wouldn't miss it for the world. He drives out to Ohio so that he and Blaine can drive back with his things once he's done packing.

After the ceremony, Cooper finds Blaine in the crowd and envelops him in a warm hug. "I'm so proud of you," He murmurs against Blaine before kissing the top of his head.

When they part, Blaine is grinning wide. "There's someone I want you to meet," He says cheerfully, taking his hand. He leads them through the crowd until he finds who he's looking for. Cooper recognizes him as one of the Warblers and smiles warmly when Blaine introduces them.

"Cooper, this is Wes," He says happily, "Wes, Cooper."

"It's great to finally meet you," Wes says, smiling and shaking Cooper's hand, "Blaine won't shut up about how excited he is to move out to California with you."

Cooper laughs and jokes, "Well, good. Or else I'd have to rethink him moving out."

Blaine wanders off to hug a couple of his other friends, leaving Wes and Cooper alone. Wes takes the moment to lean in close to Cooper and say softly, "I'm just glad that Blaine has found someone who loves him."

Cooper immediately opens his mouth to say his usual, _Oh it's not like that. We're brothers, _but Wes cuts him off.

"I know."

Cooper is sure that his eyes pop out of his head at the admission. He clears his throat and tries to compose himself, looking around before asking, "Y-you _know_?"

Wes just smiles, "Yeah. I could care less. As long as Blaine's happy, I'm happy. He's such a great person. He deserves the best."

"Well, I try," Cooper says jokingly, his heart pounding.

"You do a good job," Wes compliments, glancing over at Blaine who is laughing with some of his friends. "Anyway, I gotta get going. People to see. But it was great meeting you, Cooper. I'm sure I'll see you soon."

Cooper nods him on his way and as he walks away, Blaine makes his way back over. "He _knows_?" He whispers to Blaine as they walk away to find their parents.

"He sort of always had an idea," Blaine whispers back, "He just finally asked about it a few weeks ago… He doesn't care."

Cooper smiles in return, "He's a good friend."

* * *

At the end of the week, the two boys have all of Blaine's things packed up. There are a few boxes that are going to California (mostly pictures, clothes, and necessities) and the rest is in boxes, ready to be sent to storage.

Their father is absent, like usual, when Cooper and Blaine are done packing everything into Cooper's car, and their mom comes out onto the lawn, teary eyed, to say goodbye to her sons. "I'm going to miss you so much," She murmurs into Blaine's hair as they hug.

"You don't have to," Blaine says reassuringly, looking at Cooper, "You can always come stay with us."

She nods and wipes a few tears away, "I know. I'm just going to miss my boys."

Cooper and Blaine each hug her a few times more before getting into Coopers car, promising they'll call her when they get to California, and then they're driving away. As the house disappears, Blaine watches the rear view mirror.

"You gonna miss it?" Cooper asks, glancing at him.

"I'll miss _mom_," Blaine replies, "But not dad. Or Ohio."

"You sure?" He asks, worried that Blaine might be having second thoughts.

"As long as I have you, I'll be fine," Blaine says softly, reaching over to lace his fingers with Cooper's.

It takes them about four days to make it back to California because Cooper had planned some pit stops along the way, insisting that if they're driving, Blaine needs to experience a _real_ road trip. When they finally make it to Cooper's apartment, they're both exhausted, but excited to start their life together.

When they walk inside, it's about dinner time. They turn on the lights and Blaine's eyes are immediately drawn to a tacky "welcome home" banner hanging in the living room. His eyes then travel to the kitchen, where there are a few covered plates of food waiting for them. He glances at Cooper, who is just grinning.

"I had Landon and Harper drop that off for us a little bit ago," He explains, and Blaine suddenly remembers yelling at Cooper for texting and driving when they were getting close to home. "I figured you could use a romantic dinner once we got home. It's Italian. The banner is my doing though," He jokes.

When Blaine just stands there, staring at everything, Cooper immediately gets worried, "It's not too much is it?"

Blaine shakes his head, "No, no. It's _perfect._ I'm just glad to be _home._"

Cooper then smiles and takes his hand and leads him to the already made dinner table. He pulls Blaine's chair out and lets him sit down, then runs to the kitchen to grab the food. Once both boys are settled and eating, Cooper speaks up again, "Blaine?"

Blaine swallows his food and looks up, "Yes?"

Cooper takes a deep breath, playing with the piece of jewelry in the pocket of his coat that he had neglected to take off. He had wanted to have this talk with Blaine for a while but kept putting it off because the time wasn't right. Now that they were _home_, it felt perfect. "If this makes you uncomfortable, just tell me… it's just- this is something I've been wanting to give you for a while."

Blaine raises an eyebrow in confusion but smiles warmly at his brother after a second, "What is it, Coop?"

Cooper takes a deep breath before pulling the silver band out of his pocket and setting it on the table. His heart is pounding in his ears and he's surprised he hasn't forgotten how to talk yet. "I know it's kind of impossible for us to get married someday," He starts, his hands shaking in his lap, "But I wanted to give you this. I guess it's kind of just a promise that I'll always be here."

Blaine just stares down at the ring sitting on the table, then looks up at Cooper who smiles at him nervously. He remembers vividly a conversation that he had with Cooper a few years ago – one that he's not too proud of. He remembers telling Cooper that all he wants is to be able to introduce his _boyfriend_ to his friends, to be able to hold hands with him in public. To get _married_ someday. He has to stop himself from crying when he realizes that Cooper has given him all of those things.

When he realizes that Cooper's smile has faded and a look of worry has spread across his face because he hasn't said anything yet, he quickly grabs the ring and slides it on his finger. "I love it, Coop," He says, smiling down at his hand then up at his brother.

"Really?" Cooper asks, still nervous, "It's not too much?"

Blaine then leans across the table so their faces are close, "Really. I love it. And I love you."

"I love you too, B," Cooper says softly, and then Blaine is closing the gap between them and kissing him softly.


End file.
